The invention relates to locks and primarily to a cable locking system for securing tools and other hardware stored in the bed of a pickup truck. An alternative embodiment can be used for locking bicycles and other items to prevent their removal.
Construction workers often carry tools and other equipment in the bed of their pickup trucks. Quite often these items are stolen from the bed of a pick-up truck since the worker cannot always have the truck in his line of sight. Presently there is not a locking system available that would prevent tools and equipment from being stolen from the bed of a pickup truck.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel cable lock system that can be used for securing tools and other equipment stored in the bed of a pickup truck.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel cable lock system having a female lock housing that can be secured to the wall of a tool chest or to the wall of a truck bed with all of the hardware for fastening the female lock housing hidden from view and access.
It is another object of the invention to provide a cable lock system that can be easily installed by the owner of a pickup truck.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel cable lock system that is economical to manufacture and market.
It is an additional object to provide a novel cable lock system that is fairly lightweight.
It also an object of the invention to provide a novel cable lock system having a cable made of braided metal wire covered by a tubular plastic sleeve thereby making it extremely difficult to cut or sever.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel cable lock system having a female lock housing and a male lock housing each having clean design lines and an attractive appearance.
The novel cable lock system has been primarily designed for use in the bed of a pick-up truck for securing equipment and tools so they will not be stolen. It can also be used in other environments.
The cable lock system has three main components and they are a length of cable, a female lock housing and a male lock housing. The only hardware required to mount the female lock housing is a carriage bolt having a rounded head and a rounded head nut. The female lock housing would be secured to a wall member such as a tool chest or one of the walls in the truck bed. A hole would be drilled through the wall member and the carriage bolt would be fed from the inside of the wall member through the aperture and into the interior of the tubular sleeve portion of the female lock housing. The hexhead nut would be threaded onto the threaded shank of the carriage bolt thereby rigidly securing it in place. The only external access outside of the wall member to the hardware fastening the female lock housing to the wall member would be internally hidden in the tubular sleeve portion.
The length of cable is preferably made of braided metal wire that is covered by a tubular plastic sleeve. A lug is secured on each end of the cable and these lugs have a tubular body having a narrowed neck portion and a head. After the cable has been threaded through the tools and equipment in the bed of the pickup truck, the head of each of the lugs is inserted into one of the lug apertures in the side wall of the tubular sleeve portion of the female lock housing. Each of these lug apertures has an elongated slot extending therefrom having a width narrower than that of the diameter of the lug aperture. When the head of the lug is inserted into the lug aperture, the neck portion is slid into the slot thereby restraining removal of the lug.
The male lock housing has a cylindrical member having an annular flange at its front end. The cylindrical member telescopes into the bore of the female lock housing and the front end of the cylindrical member is positioned adjacent the head of the respective lug members to prevent their removal. The male lock housing has a bore hole extending from its end to its rear end that telescopically receives a lock. A set screw extending laterally through the cylindrical member threads into the lock thereby securing it in position. The cylindrical member also has a tang aperture that communicates with the locking tang of the lock. The bore hole of the female lock housing has an internal annular groove aligned adjacent the tang aperture so that when the key of the lock is turned, the locking tang moves radially and will extend into the internal annular groove of the female lock housing and be captured therein.
Both the female lock housing and the male lock housing are made of machined steel and are not susceptible to being cut with a metal saw or bolt cutters.
One alternative embodiment of the cable lock system has closed loops on the respective ends of the cable. Another alternative embodiment works extremely well in securing bicycles.